Rev 1.0 June 2017 Application note Info Keywords Abstract Content Document information QN9080, QN9083, BLE, USB dongle, PCB layout, MIFA, chip antenna, antenna simulation, gain pattern. This application note describes the QN908x antenna design and selection. It includes the antenna introduction and details on the simulation and design of the PCB and chip antenna solutions.
Rev Date Description 1.0 06/2017 Public release. Revision history Contact information For more information, see www.nxp.com All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 2 of 21
1. Introduction 2. PCB antenna This document provides guidelines for the selection of antennas that are used for the QN908x Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device. There are some key factors to consider when choosing the antenna for your product: Size Frequency band Bandwidth Polarization Peak gain and average gain Radiation pattern This document shows the PCB antenna and chip antennas used in the QN9080 USB dongle and QN908x module boards. These can be used as a sample reference design for your product s antenna. This section provides an overview of the QN9080 USB dongle and the module board antenna design. The PCB antenna is a Meandered Inverted F Antenna (MIFA). As a sample, the antenna design contains the antenna simulation and PCB layout. This type of PCB antenna has these design features: Smaller size Easier integration on the PCB board Low-profile shape Low cost for mass production For different application designs, it is helpful to understand the typical radiation pattern direction of a MIFA antenna so that the radiation in the desired direction can be maximized. The radiation direction is shown in Fig 1. Fig 1. MIFA antenna radiation direction All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 3 of 21
2.1 Antenna used in the USB dongle MIFA is a PCB antenna for low-cost, low-profile, and high-efficiency applications. The meander trace design effectively reduces antenna dimensions and is easily integrated. NXP completed the antenna simulation with the housing removed. Although the USB dongle product is always sold in a housing to be considered a real product, the housing has an impact on the antenna performance. The RF matching helps to adjust the antenna s resonant frequency to the correct range. EMPro is an electromagnetic simulation tool which can be used to perform the antenna simulation for PCB antennas. The simulation model is shown in Fig 2. Fig 2. Dongle MIFA antenna simulation Some of the simulation antenna parameters are shown in Table 1. Table 1. Simulation antenna parameters Antenna parameters Value Unit PCB substrate permittivity 4.6 PCB substrate H 1.0 mm Length of PCB substrate 35.5 mm Width of PCB substrate 14 mm Length of TOP PCB ground 25.5 mm Width of TOP PCB ground 14 mm Length of BOT PCB ground 25.5 mm Width of BOT PCB ground 14 mm Width of antenna trace 0.5 mm 2.1.1 S11 antenna Fig 3 shows the S11 antenna simulation results, which is the antenna s return loss. The BLE frequency band ranges from 2402 to 2483.5 MHz. The return loss value is below -10 db in the BLE frequency band. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 4 of 21
Fig 3. S11 antenna 2.1.2 Gain pattern Fig 4 shows the simulation results for the antenna gain pattern at phi = 90 o. Fig 4. Antenna gain pattern @ phi = 90 o Fig 5 shows the simulation results for the antenna gain pattern @ phi = 0 o. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 5 of 21
Fig 5. Antenna gain pattern @ phi = 0 o 2.1.3 3D gain pattern Fig 6 shows the antenna 3D gain pattern simulation results. Fig 6. 3D antenna gain pattern All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 6 of 21
2.1.4 Antenna efficiency Frequency (GHz) Available power (W) Table 2. Antenna efficiency simulation results Radiated Input power System power (W) efficiency (W) Radiation efficiency 1 0.0025 8.02E-05 1.27E-05 0.51 % 15.81 % 1.3 0.0025 9.78E-05 3.43E-05 1.37 % 35.10 % 1.36 0.0025 1.05E-04 4.17E-05 1.67 % 39.81 % 1.42 0.0025 1.15E-04 5.10E-05 2.04 % 44.35 % 1.72 0.0025 2.04E-04 1.39E-04 5.57 % 68.20 % 1.96 0.0025 4.31E-04 3.51E-04 14.06 % 81.46 % 2.08 0.0025 6.94E-04 5.94E-04 23.77 % 85.67 % 2.44 0.0025 2.46E-03 2.23E-03 89.00 % 90.64 % 2.83 0.0025 9.49E-04 8.40E-04 33.61 % 88.58 % 3.22 0.0025 3.94E-04 3.27E-04 13.07 % 82.98 % 4 0.0025 1.23E-04 6.81E-05 2.72 % 55.32 % 2.1.5 PCB layout To provide a low-cost design for the QN9080 USB dongle, a two-layer stack, 1.0-mm PCB board is recommended. The dielectric material of the PCB is standard FR-4. The relative permittivity is 4.6. The antenna layout trace dimensions are shown in Fig 7. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 7 of 21
Fig 7. QN9080 USB dongle MIFA antenna dimensions The reference PCB layout is shown in Fig 8 and Fig 9. Fig 8. QN9080 USB dongle PCB layout top layer All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 8 of 21
Fig 9. QN9080 USB dongle PCB layout bottom layer For more information about the PCB design, contact your local NXP representative. 2.2 QN9080 development board module antenna There are two different modules that are based on the QN9080 QFN and QN9083 WLCSP packages. Both can be mounted on the QN908x DK board to develop a BLE product based on the QN908x device. The MIFA simulation model is created in the EMPro simulation software and shown in Fig 10. Fig 10. Module board MIFA simulation Some of the simulation antenna parameters are shown in Table 3. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 9 of 21
Table 3. Simulation antenna parameters Antenna parameters Value Unit PCB substrate permittivity 4.6 PCB substrate H 1.0 mm Length of the PCB substrate 27.8 mm Width of the PCB substrate 18.45 mm Length of the TOP PCB ground 21.3 mm Width of the TOP PCB ground 18.45 mm Length of the BOT PCB ground 21.3 mm Width of the BOT PCB ground 18.45 mm Width of the antenna trace 0.5 mm 2.2.1 S11 antenna Fig 11 shows the S11 antenna parameter simulation results. The BLE frequency band ranges from 2402 to 2483.5 MHz. The return loss value is below -10 db in the BLE frequency band. 2.2.2 Gain pattern Fig 11. S11 antenna Fig 12 shows the antenna gain pattern @ phi = 90 o simulation results. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 10 of 21
Fig 12. Antenna gain pattern @ phi = 90 o Fig 13 shows the antenna gain pattern @ phi = 0 o simulation results. 2.2.3 3D gain pattern Fig 13. Antenna gain pattern @ phi = 0 o Fig 14 shows the 3D antenna gain pattern simulation results. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 11 of 21
Fig 14. 3D antenna gain pattern 2.2.4 Antenna efficiency Frequency (GHz) Available power (W) Table 4. Input power (W) Antenna efficiency simulation results Radiated power (W) System efficiency Radiation efficiency 1 0.0025 6.09E-05 4.24E-06 0.17 % 6.96 % 1.6 0.0025 1.00E-04 3.23E-05 1.29 % 32.19 % 1.66 0.0025 2.22E-04 6.56E-05 2.63 % 29.51 % 1.72 0.0025 1.22E-04 4.94E-05 1.98 % 40.35 % 2.08 0.0025 3.67E-04 2.46E-04 9.84 % 67.07 % 2.26 0.0025 1.02E-03 7.63E-04 30.50 % 74.76 % 2.44 0.0025 2.40E-03 1.86E-03 74.44 % 77.58 % 2.54 0.0025 1.85E-03 1.43E-03 57.32 % 77.41 % 2.64 0.0025 1.12E-03 8.54E-04 34.17 % 76.35 % 2.83 0.0025 4.83E-04 3.50E-04 14.00 % 72.46 % 3.22 0.0025 1.91E-04 1.18E-04 4.70 % 61.58 % 4 0.0025 8.62E-05 3.18E-05 1.27 % 36.87 % 2.2.5 PCB layout The QN908x module board is a four-layer stack, 1-mm PCB board. The PCB dielectric material is standard FR-4. The relative permittivity is 4.6. The antenna layout trace dimensions are shown in Fig 15. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 12 of 21
Fig 15. QN908x module MIFA dimensions The reference PCB layout is shown in Fig 16 and Fig 17. Fig 16. QN9083 WLCSP module board PCB layout top and bottom layers All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 13 of 21
Fig 17. QN9080 QFN module board PCB layout top and bottom layers For more information about the PCB design, contact your local NXP representative. 2.3 Antenna-matching circuit The RF front-end pin of QN908x is already matched to 50 by an internal matching circuit. Therefore, there is no need to add any matching circuits on the RF front-end pin on the reference designs. A π-type circuit network is designed for antenna RF matching. If your antenna has a precise input impedance, leave the shunt capacitor as it is and use a suitable capacitor instead of a series resistor. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 14 of 21
3. Chip antenna The chip antenna is a high-frequency ceramic solution for 2.45-GHz antenna applications. The chip antenna is an ideal solution when the board space is limited. This type of antenna provides smaller size and acceptable cost. If an external matching circuit is used, the chip antenna performs better. The matching circuit, antenna placement, and ground layout are all important factors that affect the chip antenna performance. In this section, the chip antenna is shown as an example used on the QN9080 small module board. The module dimensions are 10x10 mm. The chip antenna is a good solution for this module due to its small size. The chip antenna chosen is manufactured by Johanson Technology. Table 5 lists some of the key parameters. Table 5. General specifications Part number 2450AT18A100 Frequency range 2400 to 2500 MHz Peak gain 0.5 dbi typ. (XZ-V) Average gain -0.5 dbi typ (XZ-V) Return loss 9.5 db min. Input power 2 W max. (CW) Impedance 50 Operating temperature -40 to +125 C Reel quantity 3000 Table 6 lists the mechanical dimensions of the chip antenna: Table 6. Mechanical dimensions in. mm L 0.126 ± 0.008 3.20 ± 0.20 W 0.063 ± 0.008 1.60 ± 0.20 T 0.051 + 004/- 008 1.30 + 0.1/ 0.2 a 0.020 ± 0.012 0.50 ± 0.30 3.1 Antenna performance The test data below was provided by the chip manufacturer (Johanson) for part number 2450AT18A100. If you have any questions related to this chip antenna, ask the manufacturer (Johanson Technology). For designs that use the chip antenna, the radiation pattern direction is shown in Fig 18: All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 15 of 21
Fig 18. Chip antenna radiation direction 3.1.1 Chip antenna S11 and VSWR Fig 19. Chip antenna S11 and VSWR All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 16 of 21
3.1.2 Radiation pattern 3.2 Placement and PCB layout Fig 20. Chip antenna radiation pattern The placement and layout of the chip antenna on the PCB board is very important. The antenna position on the PCB board, the size of the keep-out space, and the distance between the antenna and the reference ground plane affects the antenna resonance frequency, impedance, and efficiency. Some typical designs and placements are strongly recommended. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 17 of 21
Fig 21. Excellent positions for a chip antenna Fig 22. Acceptable positions for a chip antenna Fig 23. Unacceptable positions for a chip antenna Here are some recommendations to follow: Do not put any metal objects (such as batteries) above or below the antenna clearance area. Keep any other metals as far from the clearance area as possible. Additional stitching vias around the ground plane near the antenna provide a better ground reflection for the antenna. Place the antenna-matching circuit components as close to the antenna feed port as possible. All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 18 of 21
For the antenna PCB layout, a 50- feed line, matching circuit, and antenna clearance is all that is needed. A sample PCB layout is shown in Fig 24: 3.3 Chip antenna list Fig 24. Chip antenna PCB layout from Johanson There are many suppliers of ceramic chip antennas. When working on a design, the antenna size, price, and performance are the key factors to choose the antenna best suited for the needs of the design. Table 7 lists chip antennas from different suppliers that are tested with QN9080. Table 7. Chip antenna list Supplier Tested Main 2.4-GHz chip antenna products Y Y Y Y Y 2450AT18B100, 2450AT18A100, 2450AT18D0100, 2450AT18E0100, 2450AT43D100, 2450AT43H0100, 2450AT45A100 SLDA31-2R800G-S1TF, SLDA52-2R350G-S1TF, SLDA72-2R470G-S1TF AN3216, AN2051, AN6520, AN0835, AN9520 RFANT5220110AT, RFANT3216120AT, RFECA3216060A1T, RGANT8010100A0T, RFGFRA9937380A3T, RGFRA1903041A1T BTCA5020, BTCA4020, BTCA1206, BTCA0805 Y A10192, A5839, A5645, A6111, A6150, A10381 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev 1.0 June 2017 19 of 21
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1. Introduction... 3 2. PCB antenna... 3 2.1 Antenna used in the USB dongle... 4 2.1.1 2.1.2 S11 antenna... 4 Gain pattern... 5 2.1.3 3D gain pattern... 6 2.1.4 2.1.5 Antenna efficiency... 7 PCB layout... 7 2.2 QN9080 development board module antenna... 9 2.2.1 2.2.2 S11 antenna... 10 Gain pattern... 10 2.2.3 3D gain pattern... 11 2.2.4 2.2.5 Antenna efficiency... 12 PCB layout... 12 2.3 Antenna-matching circuit... 14 3. Chip antenna... 15 3.1 Antenna performance... 15 3.1.1 Chip antenna S11 and VSWR... 16 3.1.2 Radiation pattern... 17 3.2 Placement and PCB layout... 17 3.3 Chip antenna list... 19 4. Legal information... 20 4.1 Definitions... 20 4.2 Disclaimers... 20 4.3 4.4 Licenses... 20 Patents... 20 4.5 Trademarks... 20 All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. NXP Semiconductors B.V. 2017. All rights reserved. Application note Rev. 1.0 June 2017 21 of 21